The laws that underlie all life have been spelled out in many forms, through many traditions, and from many angles.
This is the gift and the curse; we may see the confusion, disagreement and conflict in those many shapes. Truth is, they are only opinions until they put words on our experience, only then can we see they all say the same thing.
The Science of life, nature, or the human condition is there so we do not have to reinvent the wheel, figure it all out on our own.
When we dare examine the theory - those perspectives on patterns, facts, rules that organise our thoughts and beliefs - we receive direction in our growth, acceleration. We acquire the means to exchange and share with others, to expose ourselves to the experiences that connect us, to layer our decisions and perceptions.
Theory moves us away from a self-centred view of the universe towards a universal view of our trajectory - ie. hopefully, towards awakening.
True knowing applies to much more than our immediate experience. As we share our observations we access more universal knowledge, and gradually filter through what stands the test of time and repetition.
However much we know about those laws can't change, bend or stall them, and once we have enough perspective to understand we don't have a say, we can work with them and tap into their power.
When we realise that our view is one view and not reality, life takes on a different meaning.
This lesson may be the difference between child-like innocence and rational adulthood, between self-centredness and worldliness, between opinionated ignorance and expert knowledge.
From there, we can gear our curiosity and wit to always seeking the other point of view, the perspective that makes our experience an epiphany.
Our understanding is limited by what we have been exposed to, our experiences, the information we have.
Curiosity and the willingness to connect dots will open our eyes to other angles, to other possibilities, until somehow, the picture makes sense.
This requires us to trust the impulse to find out what is behind the facade, the polite look, the silence, to dispel myths and dissolve separation.
As our perspective deepens and the crisp picture takes shape, we contemplate each touch of colour and decide whether or not it belongs in the final shape.
Is this noise? Can I trust this? The situation is still fuzzy, a little murky.
At this point, clarity ebbs and flows. It is all part of the process, a slow process.
The reasons behind reality match a point of view, that of the ruling class, a heritage, a life story or some shape of collective consciousness.
There is always an angle from which the way things are and work make sense, in spite of their flaws and injustice.
However logical our point of view may be, it is worthless until we can make sense of it in relation to the sensical point of view, as a trajectory. Then only do we grasp where the other is coming from, what is and isn’t negotiable.
Our idea of who we are, where we fit, and where we’re heading are but working concepts, guidelines, something through which we can check our heart.
There is nothing that defines us in every situation and every day, no principle, no law, no fact about us that isn’t altered by age, experience, cycles and choices.
As such, we get to understand our self, and our life, as work in progress - an object to contemplate, learn about, attend to and nurture.
In that endeavour, judgement and blame are as useless as for anything else - letting ourselves grow and be is the point.
In the grand scheme of things, our mistakes make little difference. We humans are all imperfect, we know too little to even locate our self in the Creation.
Our actions are but chemical events in the workings of the universe. We call them success our failure from a place of ego, but with some altitude, we see they border on irrelevance.
The single criteria for their worth is whether they contribute to harmony or disharmony.
When we look at our self, at our life, this is all we need to ponder.
Seeing
Contemplation (view)
Perspective
Examining